Met Office: SIGNIFICANT WEATHER EVENT will hit UK in days as HUGE Atlantic storm ROARS in

Posting a blog from January 6th 2014 from some guy (who no doubt is now eating his words and a large slice of humble pie) moaning about storms not
being global warming is entirely irrelevant to the thread.

There are reports from those actually qualified in the study of such phenomena as 'global warming' that are saying they do not know how much it is
affecting current weather.

That aside this thread isn't about 'global warming' it is about recent storms, flooding etc in the UK.

The fact that 'climate change' is being mentioned is because it is relevant. Reports from those in the know including stats suggest that these trends
are set to continue.

As flood waters continue to engulf parts of the UK this weekend, the Met Office released a report looking at whether climate change is playing a part
in the exceptional weather.

Chief scientist Julia Slingo summarised the Met Office's position by saying "all the available evidence suggests there is a link to
climate change" - though the full report makes clear just how difficult it is to unravel the special weather we get here in the UK.

People on the thread aren't ''panicking'' but I bet those (and the relatives / those that care about) whose belongings were /are being trashed by
sewage infested floodwater in their houses, that cannot get out of their houses, that were forced to abandon their houses, that have been flooded for
months, that cannot do or get to work, those whose businesses are affected, those fishermen losing weeks of income, those whose insurance isn't
covering them, those who have no power in their homes, those scared of floods encroaching on them, those who cannot get trains they need to get, those
who cannot drive their lorries, those who need the closed roads, those suffering property storm damage, those that were up to their necks in
floodwater, those affected by high winds, affected by fallen trees, fallen power lines, flying road signs, those stuck on trains in the dark for hours
etc are rightly worrying.

Here is todays front page of the Telegraph. NB The headlines are the recent storms and floods!

theabsolutetruth
More reports of the flooding, state of the ground etc.

12:28: John Hammond BBC Weather says: " It looks like being the wettest winter on record and the ground water is just, it's got nowhere to go. The
ground is like a sponge, the sponge is full to overflowing. What we don't need is more rain. What we're going to get is another storm."

12:26: John Hammond BBC Weather warns that the incoming storm from the Atlantic tomorrow will be "every bit as intense, if not more" than
yesterday's.

Some 80,000 homes remain without power across England and Wales, where a clean-up operation is under way after 100mph winds.

Although that is terrible for those effected... let's put that into perspective..

There are around 25 million occupied homes in Britain... so although 80'000 seem quite a lot in reality it is just 0.32% of all occupied households
in Britain affected by the power outage...

I cant believe what I'm reading.... families are now being charged for 'Sandbags'! Can you believe this? At times like these things should be
available for free, I still sense that Companies still want their money... wouldn't surprise me if the energy Companies still want there cash too
from these Families who have been hit with flooding!

I dunno.. I really find it hard to understand peoples minds at times like these.

Some of Story:

[Flood-hit residents are being charged by councils for sandbags, as Britain braces for more gale force winds set to strike the country later.

Some local authorities are limiting the number of sandbags that can be given to residents battling to save their homes from the floodwaters.

And those charging for sandbags are doing so despite Prime Minister David Cameron's pledge that "money is no object" to the relief effort.

Christchurch is among those asking residents to pay, while South Somerset and Cornwall councils' websites still say sandbags incur a charge.

Minister for Local Government Brandon Lewis MP told Sky News: "There is no reason whatsoever for any council anywhere to charge anybody for sandbags.

Also, more stormy weather coming next week, after this Friday/Saturday Rain. Also looks like Snow is following.... cant get much worse, there will be
flooding, followed by snow followed by ice and cold!

Yes. It was. If you were looking at context correctly, you would know that the storm we just had, on top of the constant cycle of rainstorms that have
been flooding everything for the last eight weeks in some places, will have caused much greater havoc, because it hit already devastated locations,
and exploited weaknesses created by the previously existing damages from the flooding. And, contextually, as a weather related crisis goes, this one
will be far more costly, and time consuming to put right, because we are not just talking about one storm here, but the cumulative damages caused by
weeks of flooding, weeks of heavy wind and rain in the west, and furthermore, the threat of other, potentially more damaging storms coming in.

To treat all of these as separate emergencies would be short sighted and foolish in the extreme, simply because the effects of these weather events
as a whole, will need dealing with all at once, and in one massive insurance bill. It is also worth mentioning that the situation is not over. There
is still a vast amount of water where it ought not be, and there is more bad weather coming in, so it is not unreasonable to be prepared for the
possibility that things could get a heck of a lot worse over the next forty eight, to seventy two hours.

The 1953 storm was terrible - it was so terrible i had to study it as a nipper at school. That storm killed over 1800 in the Netherlands - due to
flooding of the dykes and canals and just under 400 in the UK.

The thing for me regarding this storm is that now a precedent has been set by the government for future flood disasters. If a repeat of 2007 happens
up here and we do not get the same offers they are receiving in the Home Counties, there will be hell to pay. Frankly speaking, i think it could lead
to mass civil disobedience and rightly so. We cannot have a situation develop where it is one rule for the South East and a different rule for
everywhere else.

As to last nights winds.......i lost a roof tile and some neighbours had their bins blown over. I have to say i'm with Boymonkeys gran in that i am
enjoying the fact it isn't us for once. That said you wouldn't wish it on anyone.

The Beeb news channel had a Met Office bod on late last night saying they think the Jet Stream changes at the moment are down to the extremely heavy
rains in South East Asia towards the end of 2013 - basically, it dumped so much moisture into the atmosphere it is affecting global weather patterns
now and the density as it approached the Arctic has pushed the Jet Stream south. He didn't seem to think it would go on and on but then he didn't he
didn't look very confident!

The sequence of storms with been having - and consequrntial wind damage and flooding - are probably the worst we've had in a long time, certainly in
modern times.

No one storm within that sequence has been as bad as the October '87 storm, let alone the Burns' Day storm of 1990. Nor has the flooding been as
extensive or expensive (let alone deadly) as the '53 North Sea Storm Surge or the June/July 2007 flooding. But I don't think anyone has been
suggesting that to be the case?

What is extreme is the regularity of the storms, any one of which would in any 'normal' year have been one of the worst of the year.

Added to which, they are of course affecting the southern half of the country in which such storms are very much rarer, rather than the north - a
sequence such as this hitting NW Scotland would not even be newsworthy.

I helped escort fire engines in the 87 hurricanes during my early years in the forces....it was real bad back then, and the floods here at the moment
are a different type of bad....wouldn't want to be in the middle of either of them ever again.

The thread is about the recent storms, floods etc, which are very relevant and very newsworthy.

I completely agree that the media are reporting this as their prime headlines, it is entirely feasible and obvious that this is the right thing to
do.

The thread doesn't say ''worst ever storm'' nor is anyone on the thread claiming this, so any arguments of such a nature are straw man arguments and
should be kept off the thread.

The thread isn't about comparing the recent storms to all previous storms.

However, the stats are relevant, the EA's press release that climate change is a factor in these storms and floods is relevant, so is the fact that
these almost constant storms and rainfall levels in certain areas being at their highest for 250 years is something that is affecting lives and will
continue to until measures are taken for prevention.

This is happening mostly in Southern England and Wales NOW but this can just as easily happen next week / next month / next year / in the North of
England, Scotland and even the entire UK.

Just because it isn't currently EVERYWHERE in the UK is irrelevant to the fact that this is major and newsworthy.

Please keep the thread on track, derailing arguments of ''well there was a worst storm in 1987'' as an argument against the existence of this thread
or the people here and the media talking about it is ridiculous.

We are talking about the recent storms,floods etc and climate change is altering how the infrastructure of the country stands as it currently does as
well as the implications for the future.

Exactly, the recent storms and the effects of, have created a steep learning curve.

Instead of sitting back under the pretense of ''its the UK, minimal storms once every few years'' and doing nothing, the government has to take
measures to ensure every area is covered for these possibilities and that there are local and national contingency plans.

With hindsight, measures could have been taken weeks, months, years ago that measures rivers and ensures that if they are predicted to be reaching
further than their maximum height then that rivers contingency plan goes in to place, be it a deliberate flood plain / flood lake or whichever measure
is best for that particular river, it should be in place as and when is relevant, hence preventing flooding.

Same for groundwater levels, each area should be monitoring these and when levels exceed a certain amount, contingency measures put in place, again
avoiding flooding.

There are vast underground springs and water resources that could be used by the general population and agriculture / commerce, regulated by the
government and as a more 'free' resource as opposed to the privatised water hell that is currently the norm.

Similarly for coastal defenses, at least triple defenses put into place between habitation and sea, break waters, harbours reinforced etc as standard.

Harnessing power from the sea in ways that both are productive and acting as a breakwater are surely within out scientific reach. The energy potential
there is enormous.

Perhaps also an emergency volunteer service, 'home guard' style that can be put into action should anything reach certain levels. The creation of jobs
and utilisation of a skilled and unskilled workforce would be welcome to many.

Now is the time for these actions to be formulated and put in place. We have the brain power, the natural resources, the labour force and the money so
there is no excuse.

Turning things in to a gloating 'them and us' squabble fest of north /south / labour / conservative ilk is entirely futile, the nation has to work
together constructively in taking preventative measures as any of this could happen anywhere at any time and much worse than the current situation.

It depends where you live. I'm in Lancashire and my bedroom roof is caved in, the trees at the back are fenced off as they've split and are leaning
over an old people's home. I've seen a few collapsed walls (had to do a tripple check as never seen that before), dozens of trees in the road in just
a 2 mile drive today and countless slates blown off roofs.

I was only just born during the famous storm but everyone I've spoken to today who was around then has said last night's was worse.

We've been lucky enough to escape the others but this one was huge - I'm an experienced mountain climber, used to very strong winds and was nearly
blown into the road several times on my walk home four to five hours before the peak hit. I'm certainly glad it's over....until next week apparently.

Off topic but on the weather pattern change - we usually get one very windy storm a winter around Dectime (for the last 15 years at least) but this
winter seems to have been fortnightly-monthly weaker ones then last night's record breaker.

Good news folks 38 Degrees have raised £100,000 from members and that money is now going to help the families in the UK. I think 4 charities will now
get the money split so each charity can help their county. As I said it takes more than one person to make a difference and if you did donate then I
send my gratitude and my love.

Love & Light
Jayme

24 hours - that’s the time it took for 38 Degrees members to donate just over £100,000 to support victims of the devastating floods. Thank you so
much. Here’s how 38 Degrees members’ donations have been spent so far: £60,000 has already been distributed to local community charities
working with those who are suffering. These charities include: the Norfolk Community Foundation, who are providing emergency food and clothing
to those affected as well as bottle sterilization equipment to stricken parents the Cornwall Community Foundation, who are distributing emergency
crisis grants for things like food, accommodation and for organisations like local food banks the Somerset Community Foundation, who are providing
emergency relief grants to meet the immediate financial burdens of moving out, pumping and drying, and emergency repairs the Surrey Community
Foundation, who will be awarding grants to help people with practical things like blankets, food, accommodation, emergency repairs and equipment
These charities are getting urgent support to those who need it as quickly as possible. The office team are also speaking with lots of other charities
from across the UK (not just in England). There are big questions to answer politically and a huge amount of rebuilding to do once the water
subsides. But for those affected, our help is making a big difference right now. Graham Tuttle Chief Executive of the Norfolk Community Foundation
has said; “The generosity of 38 Degrees members has been one of the things that has sustained our community - just simply knowing people care”.
Mary Hancock, Deputy Chief Executive of the Somerset Community Foundation has said: “Thanks to the support of 38 Degrees members, we are able to
swiftly issue emergency grants to households affected by flooding in Somerset. Your donations mean that we can respond to the immediate need in our
county and build resilient communities in the future.” Tamas Haydu, Development Director of the Cornwall Community Foundation said: “Following
the weeks of torrential rain and strong winds there are many areas of Cornwall where whole communities are in urgent need of help. The Cornwall
Community Foundation is very grateful to 38 Degrees members for the incredible support.” Wendy Varcoe, Executive Director, Community Foundation for
Surrey: “This is a very difficult time for people who have been affected by the floods. With the support of 38 Degrees members we will be able to
give practical support to those who need it. Thank you to all your members who have been so generous and thoughtful. Their help makes a huge
difference. Thank you.” Thank you so much, Becky, Maddy, Susannah and the whole of the 38 Degrees team PS: Do you know a local charity that is
supporting victims of the floods and needs money urgently? Please email: emailtheteam@38degrees.org.uk

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